Church of God News

Church of God missionaries Serve Needy in Hungary

Church of God missionaries Dan and Rose Smith share their experiences of giving at Christmas.

General Assembly Slated for One Year from This Week

HUNGARY — The Christmas traditions in Hungary are similar to those of the states but there are some differences. For instance, Santa Claus does not come on Christmas Eve but on December 6. He brings switches for those that were bad and chocolate and other sweets for those who were good. It is baby Jesus who brings the gifts on Christmas Day.

During this Christmas season we provided music for some very different audiences – a Hungarian church, an international church, a hospice center, and an elementary school. We also attended a couple of choral concerts.

In November, we began crocheting scarves to give to homeless people that live on the streets of Budapest. As we crocheted, we often prayed for those who would receive our works of love. Each of the scarves was then put into a gift bag along with food items, toiletries, and a bookmark with a Hungarian scripture.

Our prayer was that God would lead us to the ones that should receive the gifts. As we passed a train station, we saw homeless people. We turned around and found a parking place. They were so grateful. I wondered what happened that they had to leave the comforts of home and live on the streets.

Marion, my daughter, had given her gift to a man who was just a few feet away. I told her that I was ready to go, but she just stood in front of the man. Then I saw that he was crying and pouring out his heart to my daughter.

He was telling her that his wife died the day before. He told that he sat beside her dead body and cried out to God to take him too. There he was in the train station with thousands of people going by. He was grieving, suffering, and no one stopped. No one cared. But God sent this young teenage girl who had made him something with her own hands just to let him know that someone cares.

As we got back into the car and turned the heat on, we were all overcome with compassion. Before we drove away we asked God to help all of those that received a scarf – especially the man whose wife had died.

Dan and Rose Smith
Missionaries to Albania/Hungary
Project Number 0650448